


Tug-of-War

by redshipsgreenships



Category: due South
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-12
Updated: 2014-03-12
Packaged: 2018-01-15 12:07:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1304308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redshipsgreenships/pseuds/redshipsgreenships
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Francesca and Elaine discuss Fraser... who happens to get caught in the middle. Will Fraser choose one of them or does he have his sights set on someone else?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tug-of-War

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [happy29](https://archiveofourown.org/users/happy29/pseuds/happy29) in the [DS_C6D_Prompt_Meme](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/DS_C6D_Prompt_Meme) collection. 



“Elaine,” Frannie slipped her slender arm over her friend’s shoulder and guided her away from the disorderly desk of Ray Kowalski. “I know that you have been gone awhile now and even though you are just finding your way around the bullpen again…” Frannie spun her delicate hand in the air emphasizing her point. “I assure you that hanging out at Kowalski’s vacant desk is _not_ going to make Fraser materialize out of thin air any time soon.” Francesca steered Elaine across the bullpen back to her newly assigned desk. It was nestled in the opposite corner of the expansive room with no direct line of site to Ray’s desk.

Elaine took a seat in her rolling chair and turned so she was facing Francesca. Crossing her arms across her chest, she stared slightly amused at her friend. “What makes you think I was waiting around for Fraser?”

Francesca brushed her shoulder length brunette hair over her right shoulder, tucking a stray strand behind her ear. Letting out a small chuckle, she placed both hands on the edge of Elaine’s new desk and leaned forward, her cropped blue top exposing the small of her back and her tanned stomach. Dropping her voice to just above a whisper, she locked eyes with her friend. “Things have changed around here since you’ve been gone. And don’t think that just because you came back, you can start throwing yourself at Fraser.” Frannie shook her finger in Elaine’s direction. “Don’t even try and deny it, sister.” She turned slightly and propped her backside on the lip of the tidy desk. Turing her head towards Elaine, she waggled her eyebrows at her unimpressed friend. “Fraser and I… we have this sort of _relationship_ already. It’s quite delicate and I’m just warning you that I’m not going to allow you to mess up what I have worked so hard at obtaining.”

Elaine sat forward and snorted at the incredulous news spilling out of Francesca’s lips. “You’re telling me, that _you_ and _Fraser_ are in a _relationship_?” Elaine laughed again. “I don’t buy it for a second.”

“Well, like I said… it’s quite delicate.” Frannie slipped off the edge of the desk and stood beside Elaine’s chair. “Just don’t go throwing yourself at the poor man, alright?” She examined her manicured nails as she spoke, ignoring Elaine’s eye rolls. “Besides, Fraser isn’t even in Chicago. He went back home for a few weeks.

“ _Ha_ …” Elaine burst out laughing. “This coming from the woman who used to drool over him from a _not-so-respectable_ distance.” The detective stood up, standing directly in front of Francesca. “I don’t see a ring on that little finger of yours, so that means that Fraser is fair game.” Elaine glanced over Frannie’s shoulder and grinned. She slipped her handcuffs out of their pouch and quickly snapped one end over Francesca’s wrist and the other end to the handle of her desk drawer. “Look who just showed up.” She pushed past Frannie and weaved her way through the bullpen towards Fraser.

“ _Hey…_ ” Frannie shrieked as she tugged on her captured wrist. “What do you think you’re doing?” She yanked her wrist trying to get it free with no luck. “Elaine, you’re going to pay for this. _Let me go!”_

Constable Fraser entered the bullpen, quickly scanning the room. His eyes darted from Ray’s vacant desk to the Lieutenant’s office, towards the filing cabinets against the far wall and back to Ray’s unoccupied desk. His brows knitted together while the easy smile on his face turned quickly into a frown. A smile returned to his lips as his gaze fell on an approaching Elaine.

“Fraser,” she greeted him with a warm smile as she pulled him into a quick embrace. “It’s so good to see you again.”

“Elaine, what a pleasant surprise.” He took a few steps back and gave her a wide smile. “Ray told me you were returning to the 2-7.” Fraser quickly scanned the room again for any signs of Ray. “Say, Elaine, you haven’t seen Ray today, have you?”

Elaine shook her head and turned Fraser towards the double doors. “No, not for a while. Why don’t you join me for lunch and we can catch up.”

Fraser opened his mouth to speak when Francesca snuck an arm around his and pulled him towards her desk and away from the doors. She was grateful for Huey's handcuff key he tossed in her direction when he saw her predicament. Elaine glared at the petite brunette and failed to let go of Fraser’s other arm. “Fraser isn’t here to have lunch with you, Elaine.” She gave Fraser a warm, slightly seductive smile. She drew her eyebrows together and swept a thumb across Fraser’s forehead. “What did you do to your head, Frase?”

Taking a step back away from both women, his nervousness around them returned in full force. He laughed lightly as he ran his own fingers across his forehead. “I had a little scuffle with a tree back home.”

Elaine stepped forward, placing a hand on his forearm. “Does it hurt? Let me have a look at it for you. You may need a fresh bandage to cover it. I can take care of that for you.” She began to pull on Fraser’s arm, directing him towards her desk and away from Francesca.

“Elaine, really, I’m quite alright.” Fraser protested as he planted his feet firmly.

Frannie tugged him off balance, as she laid a first aid kit open on her desk. A Band-Aid was half- way out of the wrapper. “Look, I’ve already got everything we need to take care of that nasty scrape.”

“Ladies, please… while you both are excellent care-takers, I assure you that I am quite fine. I don’t need any medical attention at the moment.” He stepped backwards away from the two women. “What I _do_ need... is to know if either of you know where Ray is hiding.”

Elaine trailed a finger down Fraser’s arm. “What do you need Ray for? All you need is me. We should become partners Fraser.”

Frannie rolled her eyes. “Oh please, like you would ever get any work done.”

~*~

Ray peered through the horizontal blinds of Lieutenant Welsh’s office, a lopsided grin gracing his features. He rubbed a hand thoughtfully across his jaw. Glancing over to his superior, he chuckled. “Think I should go rescue Fraser from the girls’ tentacles?”

“If it means restoring order to my bullpen,” Welsh waved his meaty hand towards the door. “By all means, be my guest.”

Ray exited Welsh’s office and strolled casually over to the two women and Fraser who was looking quite anxious. Walking up behind Fraser, he placed a slender hand on his partner’s shoulder and spun him slowly so they were face to face. Ray winked at both women before pulling Fraser’s solid body effortlessly towards himself. He placed both hands on either side of Fraser’s face and pulled him in for a lingering kiss.

The nervousness in Fraser’s body left the instant Ray touched him. He melted into Ray’s embrace and pulled the blonde detective closer with a strong hand on the nape of his neck.

Ray broke the sensual kiss and rubbed a thumb across Fraser’s swollen lips. “Welcome home, Ben. We still on for lunch?” Not giving his partner a chance to answer, he guided Fraser towards the exit.

Francesca and Elaine stood with their mouths gaping open as they watched the two men exit the bullpen with their arms slung over each other’s shoulders and walking way closer than partners walked. Elaine coughed into her hand and turned to Frannie who was still staring wide-eyed at the double doors. “Well, I didn’t see that one coming.”

Lieutenant Welsh appeared from his office door and met the two ladies at the edge of Francesca’s desk. “I think Kowalski won that round. Now, if you two would stop staring at that door, I would appreciate it greatly if you would do some actual work around here.” With a final chuckle, he returned to his office and closed the door.

Frannie laced her fingers together and cracked her knuckles. “I’m ready for round two…”

 


End file.
